It’s A Memorabilia-palooza, Pilgrim

John Wayne always reminded me of my Granddaddy Morris, my Mom's father; he smoked, he loved to hunt, and he just sort of was built like the Duke. Many fans of Wayne's will be extra excited about the auction of over 400 items-including costumes, scripts, personal affects, and awards- coming up this October through Heritage Auctions. What caught my eye, no pun intended, is one of the black eye-patches Wayne wore in his Oscar-winning role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit will be on the auction block. A cowboy hat Wayne wore in the Rooster Cogburn sequel will also be up for auction. Wayne's son, Ethan, President of John Wayn Enterprises, said that there was no reason his father's fans shouldn't be able to enjoy this massive memorabilia collection. Among the more unique items in the collection, Wayne's Golden Globe he won for Best Actor for True Grit, personal correspondence with U.S. Presidents and other big Hollywood stars, Wayne's driver's license, passport, and American Express card. Pre-sale estimates of items range from $100 to $50,000. Prior to the LA auction, a public exhibition of memorabilia will be held in both Dallas and New York City. All proceeds from the auction will go to John Wayne Enterprises, which supports and funds the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Wayne succumbed to stomach cancer in 1979 at the age of 72. I lost my Granddaddy to lung cancer in 1993.